Once Again, Do NOT Give a Living Creature As a Gift

A little over a week away from the holidays of Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa, I once again implore all of the people who read this: do NOT give a living creature as a present or gift!  This is my usual winter rave and rant....  Any pet - be it a puppy, kitten, bunny, rat, mouse, ferret, bird, spider, snake, iguana, frog, fish, pig, calf, dog, cat, pony or horse - needs a life-time of care and attention.  Care and attention and love.  All three of these things take time, patience, and (unfortunately) money.  There are vet visits, grooming, annual shots, food, treats, toys, collars, halters, cages, aquariums, terrariums, pasture and stalling to consider.
   If you have a good friend or lover that truly loves animals, give a donations in your friend's name to a no-kill shelter, a local Humane Society, or a local zoo.  There are all sorts of refuges around the country that accept donations in someone's name to "sponsor" a specific animal for a certain amount of time.  You can donate to dog and cat and horse and other rescue groups...
   I know a whole lot of people who pass a dog or cat, and say, "Oh, I wish I had one!"  That person usually does not have a pet for a good reason - their job takes them away from home frequently, they have to work odd or late hours, they don't have a "normal" schedule; or they have other commitments that take up their spare time.
   Remember that if you take an animal home, to your home, or someone else's home, as a gift, that you are ultimately responsible for the care of that animal for the rest of it's life.  Believe it, or not, but all creatures form some type of bond with their human care-givers.  Dogs form a pack, cats a clowder, rodents form colonies, and large animals form herds.  If you take a small animal away from it's family, YOU are now it's family and leader.
   If you really, terribly need to give a person a pet, tell them about your need to do so.  If they will accept the full responsibility this entails, then take them to an animal shelter, Humane Society, or rescue center, and let the person who will be the owner/guardian select the pet of their choice...
  Please do NOT give a breathing, living creature as a gift - ever - unless it's to yourself, and you have the time, love, money, and ability to care for it for it's lifetime.

Do NOT Give An Animal as a Christmas Gift

This is from a couple of years ago, but it is still true today:
   This is the time of year that we enjoy giving gifts.  The hard part is in selecting the right gift to give.  Please do not give a living, breathing animal as a holiday gift (unless you are a parent, giving it to a child who lives with you, and with the full knowledge that you, the adult, will care for the pet).  A lot of people believe in all the old, and cute, adages:  "Happiness is a warm puppy" or "Cuddly kittens bring happiness" or "Bouncy bunnies are best."  This is not true for everyone.

  As a professional pet sitter, I frequently get stopped by folks who admire the dog(s) that I'm walking. The dog is described in glowing terms, and the person often ends up saying, "I wish he/she were mine."  The only problem with saying that is they mean it at that very second, and not in their real-time life.  Most people who are not true animal lovers see a pet as a thing - a status symbol.  I cherish each animal I care for because of it's individuality and personal quirks.  If one truly loves animals, that's what happens.  If you regard your pet as a "belonging," and not a part of your family, then you are not, truly, an animal lover.

  People frequently see puppies, kittens, and small dogs out walking.  People comment to their friends, "Oh - isn't that adorable? I'd like one just like that."  Then the friends get that person a kitten or puppy or small older dog for a Christmas, Hanukkah, or birthday gift.  There is no polite way to refuse such a gift of love - but a lot of people don't have a pet because it just doesn't fit into their life style.  They are always busy, never home, have a wildly fluctuating work or school schedule, or they don't have the money to spare for the upkeep of that new pet.
   Pets take (a) money, (b) love and attention, and (c) time - lots of time.  With any animal, there are veterinarian bills - annual vaccinations and health check ups.  Dogs need to know who is boss in the family, and that takes time, love and patience.  Cats can be trained to do things, but that takes patience and love.  Bunnies and birds can be trained also, but again, it takes time and patience.  Then there is food and water, a litter box, a cage, a kennel, a collar and leash...  Some pets are born with, or develop, allergies - to an environment, to food, to detergent... the list can be endless.  All of this costs money to treat.
   If you are intent on giving your friend a pet, tell them.  Take them to the animal shelter with you.  Let them pick out the animal they want.  But YOU pay for the adoption.  You buy at least a week's worth of food, litter, toys, etc.  You make certain that YOU can take the pet into your home, in case the adoption goes bad...
   No living creature is a "throw away" animal.  Make sure they have a wonderful life; they are your responsibility - especially if you give an animal as a gift!

Don't Give a Pet as a Christmas Present!

I am very happy to see that my blog post from December 6 last year is my most read post each day this month.  It, too, tells people not  to give animals as gifts.  More than 100,000 animals (dogs, cats, puppies, kittens, rabbits, guinea pigs, etc) are killed at "animal shelters" each week because they are no longer wanted, or convenient, items.
  - There are a few exceptions, I grant you.  Buying your young child a pet is acceptable, but only if you are willing to feed and take care of the animal.  Some children love a pet effusively for a day, or a week, and then don't want to be bothered by taking care of it.  If you are purchasing, through one of those wonderful charities, a goat, sheep, pig, chickens, or cow for an undeveloped village - you  have my thanks. If you're married, and are giving your spouse a riding horse, or a racing prospect (and have all of the monies needed for the long-term care of said equine), good on you. -
   Unfortunately, most pets given at Christmas or Easter, or on birthdays, will end up being killed at an "animal shelter."  If a friend, cohort, or partner really wants an animal, and is willing to spend the money necessary for food and veterinary visits; if the person has the time and energy to love and socialize the animal; if the person has the space for an animal, and it's allowed to live in  the apartment, condominium, or town house; if the person has the love to give, and the time to spend with a pet, then do it.  But - do not go to a breeder, unless you or the new owner intends to have a pedigreed show dog, cat, or rabbit.  Go to your local Humane Society, to your local Dumb Friends League, to your local animal shelter (where each animal is facing a death sentence), to your local animal Rescue groups, and/or check at a local veterinarian's office.  Take the person who is receiving the animal with you, and let him (or her) choose the animal they want.  Pay for the adoption; pay for the micro-chip; pay for a collar and leash, food for a week, kitty litter, if it's a cat; get toys for the pet.  BUT, if the person decides that the dog or cat or rabbit just doesn't fit into lives - you must be prepared to adopt the animal yourself.
   People today are extremely busy - I don't know how many of my friends and acquaintances exist, as they squeeze so many things that they feel they "must" do into a 24 hour period.  It's not really good for the people involved, and it's pure hell on their pets.
   Any adoption of any type of living, breathing creature means a commitment that lasts for that animal's full life, in my book of values and judgments.  Pets are not disposable throw away items.  They live, they love, they become attached to "their person" and to their usual home.  Please do NOT give a pet as a present, unless you are able and willing to take the pet into your own home.
    Thank you.

Do NOT Give An Animal as a Christmas Gift

This is the time of year that we enjoy giving gifts.  The hard part is in selecting the right gift to give.  Please do not give a living, breathing animal as a holiday gift (unless you are a parent, giving it to a child who lives with you, and with the full knowledge that you, the adult, will care for the pet).  A lot of people believe in all the old, and cute, adages:  "Happiness is a warm puppy" or "Cuddly kittens bring happiness" or "Bouncy bunnies are best."  This is not true for everyone.
  As a professional pet sitter, I frequently get stopped by folks who admire the dog(s) that I'm walking. The dog is described in glowing terms, and the person often ends up saying, "I wish he/she were mine."  The only problem with saying that is they mean it at that very second, and not in their real-time life.  Most people who are not true animal lovers see a pet as a thing - a status symbol.  I cherish each animal I care for because of it's individuality and personal quirks.  If one truly loves animals, that's what happens.  If you regard your pet as a "belonging," and not a part of your family, then you are not, truly, an animal lover.

  People frequently see puppies, kittens, and small dogs out walking.  People comment to their friends, "Oh - isn't that adorable? I'd like one just like that."  Then the friends get that person a kitten or puppy or small older dog for a Christmas, Hanukkah, or birthday gift.  There is no polite way to refuse such a gift of love - but a lot of people don't have a pet because it just doesn't fit into their life style.  They are always busy, never home, have a wildly fluctuating work or school schedule, or they don't have the money to spare for the upkeep of that new pet.
   Pets take (a) money, (b) love and attention, and (c) time - lots of time.  With any animal, there are veterinarian bills - annual vaccinations and health check ups.  Dogs need to know who is boss in the family, and that takes time, love and patience.  Cats can be trained to do things, but that takes patience and love.  Bunnies and birds can be trained also, but again, it takes time and patience.  Then there is food and water, a litter box, a cage, a kennel, a collar and leash...  Some pets are born with, or develop, allergies - to an environment, to food, to detergent... the list can be endless.  All of this costs money to treat.
   If you are intent on giving your friend a pet, tell them.  Take them to the animal shelter with you.  Let them pick out the animal they want.  But YOU pay for the adoption.  You buy at least a week's worth of food, litter, toys, etc.  You make certain that YOU can take the pet into your home, in case the adoption goes bad...
   No living creature is a "throw away" animal.  Make sure they have a wonderful life; they are your responsibility - especially if you give an animal as a gift!